Individuals who have hip replacement surgery must occasionally move about during the early healing stages following surgery. During this period, both legs must be moved in unison without twisting, and particularly without permitting the ankles to cross. If the legs are not moved in unison, or the ankles cross, the pain can be excruciating.
Currently, a caregiver accomplishes this by grasping the legs or ankles of the patient who has had surgery and gently swinging him or her around to a sitting position, or other desired position, paying particular attention to maintain the relative position of each leg with respect to the other. Another method of moving a patient's legs involves the caregiver placing his or her forearm under the legs of the patient needing assistance and the caregiver stabilizing the patient's legs on the forearm of the caregiver using the other arm. It is very difficult for the caregiver to move both legs in unison using either of the above methods and, as noted above, the failure to do so can be quite painful. Coordinated movement of the legs of another individual is especially difficult when the caregiver is small relative to the size of the patient needing assistance. In addition, the posture the caregiver is required to maintain, particularly using the second method of providing assistance, can cause back strain in the caregiver.
In addition to post hip replacement patients, who might suffer extreme pain because of such assistance if not provided with extreme care, a variety of other individuals may also need assistance in moving their legs. These individuals may include elderly individuals and individuals with paraplegia, quadriplegia, post-polio syndrome, multiple sclerosis, or any other ailment that temporarily or permanently hinders independent mobility.
Thus, there is a need for an apparatus that can be used to assist a caregiver in moving an individual's legs from one position to another in a manner that does not cause additional pain or increase the risk of injury for either the caregiver or the patient. This apparatus is particularly needed for use following hip replacement surgery.